Method and apparatus for spinning staple fiber yarn with simultaneous drafting



Oct. 6, 1964 ALTHOF 3,151,438

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING STAPLE FIBER YARN WITH SIMULTANEOUS DRAFTING Filed June 14, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Oct. 6, 1964 L. ALTHOF 3,151,438

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING STAPLE FIBER YARN WITH SIMULTANEOUS DRAFTING Filed June 14, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN l/E/VT'OK Ludwig Althof afs ww ArTY Oct. 6, 1964 1.. ALTHOF 3,151,438

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING STAPLE FIBER YAR SIMULTANEOUS FTING N WITH DRA Filed June 14, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Lud z y Alt/10f 3 ATTYJ'.

Oct. 6, 1964 Filed June 14, 1961 1.. ALTHOF 3,151,433 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SPINNING STAPLE FIBER YARN WITH SIMULTANEOUS DRAFTING v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ludo-1g Althdf I I? gg qLm United States Patent 3,151,438 METHQD AND APPARATUS FOR SPG STAPLE FIBER YARN WITH SIMULTANE- OUS DRAFTEI G Ludwig Althof, 6 Hohenzollernstrasse, Dalilerau (Wupper), Germany Filed June 14, 1961, Ser. No. 117,165 4 Claims. (CI. 57-51) This invention relates to a method of spinning a woollen, cotton or other staple fibre yarn in the manner of a carded woollen yarn, with the simultaneous application of draft, from a hard twisted roving, and to apparatus for performing this method.

It is known that fine yarn spinning machines are adapted to convert slivers or rovings into a finished yarn of improved regularity and strength by the insertion of twist through the agency of spindles. The rovings possess no or little twist and are fed to the drafting rollers of the spinning machines in this condition. However, these unconsolidated rovings tend to suffer unwanted drafting which gives rise to variations in the thickness, i.e. in the count of the final yarn.

In systems of spinning without a flyer, hard twisted rovings are used to overcome this drawback. However, these systems have the shortcoming that before entering the drawing frame the rovings are practically completely untwisted. The draft is therefore imparted to substantially untwisted rovings and although this is attenuated it tends to give rise to a cockly yarn.

In known systems of spinning coconut and similar fibers their nature necessitates the use of a hard twisted roving. After entering the draw frame the roving is untvvisted by imparting false twist to the same so that a section which substantially lacks twist is simultaneously drafted. This method is applicable only to coarse and rough fibers of the nature of coconut fibre. Wool, cotton or other staple fibers do not lend themselves to be spun by this method, because in woollen spinning the completely untwisted loose sliver would break in the drafting.

Further, in known systems of spinning, the spindle is the agent for the insertion of twist as well as the carrier for receiving the yarn. It is disadvantageous that, according to the desired twist of the yarn, the spindle must be rotated at very high speed and the resultant inertial forces limit the size of the package. In known spinning systems the fact that the spindle fulfills two separate functions entails the following drawbacks.

In mule spinning the intermittent operations of spinning and winding make for an uneconomical process. Headstock and carriage require a good deal of floor space and the reversing mechanism is highly complex.

In ring, cap and fiyer spinning, continuous operation is achieved by means of the ring with traveller, the cap or the flyer. These auxiliary tools deflect, guide and brake the thread which the spindle rotates, simultaneously causing it to wind itself on to the spindle. The necessary traverse of the auxiliary tools or of the spindle causes the twisting length as well as the tension to vary and this in turn leads to non-uniform twist and to breakages of the thread. The friction between the ring and the traveller or between the thread and the cap, and the inertia of the rotating flyer as well as other factors restrict the speed of the spindle to within limits which are fairly narrow. Supplementary devices which are intended to minimize these defects involve a considerable expenditure in means.

In so-called can spinning frames the insertion of a regularizing draft is impossible. These machines are therefore used only for coarse yarns which are not required to fulfill stringent demands in regard to uniformity and yarn diameter. In order to prevent the thread tension from 3,151,438 Patented Get. 6,1964

being transmitted into the can it is known to interpose a twister tube between the spinning can and the draw-off means so that the roving receives only part of the intended twist between the twister tube and the can. However, in this arrangement the spinning process is performed without draft.

All known methods have the defect that with respect to shape and size the packages cannot be wound to meet the requirements of following production stages. The shape and size of the package, which depends upon the nature of the spinning process, is incapable of more than limited modification. It is therefore necessary to interpose a process of re-winding in order to produce the type of package which is suitable for the next operation.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks and to provide favourable technological conditions for the spinning operation as well as a generally economical procedural technique. Drafting is performed by untwisting the roving in the drafting-system to the extent required for slippage between the fibers to be possible, but not more, and two separate tools are used for the insertion of the final twist and for winding the yarn. Spinning is completed without the use of a spindle and the yarn is wound into a package of any desired shape and form to suit the next operation.

The invention provides a method of spinning a woollen,

cotton or other staple fibre yarn, in the manner of a carded roving, incapable of yielding to draft and having as many turns as the finished yarn is required to have after allowance is made for the draft, into a drafting system. comprising at least one false twister, unwinding said roving in a drafting zone preceding said false twister to the extent required for the roving to yield to draft, submitting the same to draft, and winding the finished yarn which leaves the drafting system into a package.

The amount of twist the finished yarn is required to have maybe inserted into the roving during its entry into the drafting system.

The hard twisted roving entering the drafting system may be untwisted by a false twister in each of a plurality of consecutive drafting zones until the remaining twist in the zone preceding each false twister permits the roving to yield to the draft applied thereto in each zone, the final yarn leaving the last of the drafting zones being run into a packaging means.

The apparatus for carrying out that method comprises a drafting system substantially consisting of a spindle, at least one pair of front rollers, at least one false twister and a pair of drafting rollers, as well as a packaging means substantially constructed in the packaging means in rewinding frames.

The apparatus for performing the method proposed by the invention will now be described in greater detail by reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a spinning apparatus according to the invention for spinning a hard twisted roving;

FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic representation of the amount of twist in the thread in the several working phases in apparatus according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of spinning apparatus according to the invention in which the hard twist is inserted into the roving before entering the drafting system;

manner of the FIG. 2A is a diagrammatic representation of the amount oneness of twist in the thread during the several working phases in apparatus according to FIG. 2';

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the spinning apparatus of FIG. 2 associated with a double twist spindle;

FlGt-4 is a'perspective view ofyet another embodimentof' the proposed spinning apparatus comprising several draftihg fields; and

FIG. 4A is a diagrammatic representation-of the amount of twist in thethreadd'uring the sevr'alworkihgpliases in apparatus according to FIG. 4.

The illustrated apparatus is-intend'ed -for spinning wool,

cottonor other staple fibre yarn, inthe manner of a carded woollen yarn; comprising the application of draft; In a conventional manner an initial roving 1 has been hard twisted in a roving frame and becomes available in the form of a package ona spindle 21 Twist can also be imparted to the roving 1 byrotating the spindle 2.

From the spindle 2 (FIG. 1) the roving 1' enters the drafting'system. This'contains a rotary false twister 3 into which tlie roving enters through an inlet4 and which 4 of the false twister 3 is gradually untwiste'd to permit' the fibres to slide and at the same time it is drafted by I the pair ofdraftingrollcrs 7 in a first'zone lying between thepair of front rollers 6 andthe inlet 4 of the false twister- 3; The draft takes effect inthis first'zone because inia second'zone lying between the outlet S'of the false twister3 and the pair of drafting rollers 7'the falsetwis'ter 3 whichoperates in-both dircctionsimparts an additional amount'oftwist, so that the length of thread in this secondizoneis' a yarn which is incapable of beingfurther" In the first zone, in'which attenuation of the" drafted. roving. exclusively occurs, a numberof'turns is allowed to remain in the roving 1' to retain frictional'grip between the fibres; This' is calculatedto ensure that slippage of the fibres is possible while preventing theirseparation, that is to saybreakage of the thread. After leaving thespinningiapparatus consisting'of the pair of front'rolle'rs 6, the pair of drafting rollers 7 and the false twister 3the finished spun yarn now havingth'e same amount of twist as before entering the pair of front rollers 6 is wound by packagingimeans fiiresembli'ng thatuse'd 'in conventional rewinding machines. The packaging means S'may be suit ableifonbuilding cheeses, cones oranyother kind of pack age: ofany shape orsize to suit the following production stages. The completed packages may be dolfed automaticallyzin any manner known to the art.

Inthe embodiment shown in FIG. Zthe pairof front rollers 6 is mounted in a revolvingframe- 9"which' is driven. It istobe noted that the revolving frame -9with the front-rollers 6- and the false twister 3 revolve in the same direction. The rollers therefore revolve about their own axes as well as about theaxis'of the thread. A roving 11 whichon the bobbin It}. has no twist will then receiveas many turns before it enters the pair of front rollers 6 as will"correspond with the di'fierence in speed between the bobbin and the pair of 'front rollers 65. Overtwisting of the roving 11.is th'us avoided if the finished yarn is intended to be a high draft highly twisted yarn.

The insertion of twist into a roving 13 by a double twist spindle 14 which precedes the draftingsystem, in-

stead of by the rovingb'obbin, is illustratively shown in FIG. 3. The double twist spindle 14 is of conventionalconstruction and arranged for draw off from the inside of a package 15.

As shown in FIG. 4 the roving 1 may run through a plurality of successive drafting zones lying between the pair of front rollers G'and a pair of front rollers 6 the pair of front rollers 6 and a pair of front rollers 6 and the pair of front rollers 6 and the pair of drafting rollers 7. Each drafting zone is provided with a rotary false twister 3, 3 3 which untwists the thread sufficiently for drafting, such draft being applied in each of said zones, the finished yarn being run on the packaging means 8 after having left the final drafting zone. The distance of the false twisters from the pairs of rollers may be equal or different and, if desired, they may be adjusted when the system is stopped or during operation, by conventional means provided for displacing the'pairs of rollers. By mounting all the pairs of rollers 6, 6 6 except the final pair of drafting rollers 7 in frames 9, 9 9 in such a way that they can rotate about their own axes as well as about the' aris of the thread in'the same direction as the false twisters'it ispossible to reduce the amount'of twist in the zone preceding the pair of front rollers 6 in each second section of the drafting zoneslying between the false twister 3 andthe pair of front rollers fi the false twister 3 and the pair of front rollers 6 etc., excepting the finaldrafting section lying betweenthe'false'twister 3 and the pair of drafting'rollcrs 7 to preventovertwistl The actual process of spinningiwillf now be described in greater detail by reference tothe'embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The hard twistedroving lon the spindle 2 may have been produced in various Ways. The number of turns per unit length of the roving lmust correspond with the number of turnsthe'fine spun yarn is to poss'ess'after allowanceismade for the draft. Ilet'it be assumed that the fine spunyarn is to have 350 turns per metre length.

Moreover; let itbe assumed that the draft is 30%. The

roving-must therefore have 455 turns per metre The hard twisted roving 1 is d'rawn'off the spindle 2 and taken up by the pair of front rollersfitoenter the drafting system. The false twister 3untwists the roving 1 in the first zone between the pair'offront rollers 6 and the inlet 4 ofthe false twister 3 sufficiently to permit the applicationofdraft, but not more; Since during'the'previous insertion of'th'e hard twistinto the roving the finer cross= sections-h'aveaccepted more turnsthan th'eth'icker sections the latter will yield fir st to draft when they are untwi sted so that drafting causes the varying thicknesses of theth'read to 'be'le'velled out. The draft'applied by the pair ofdrafting rollers 7 which revolve at higher periph eral speed than the pair of front rollers 6 becomes-effective only' inthe first'zone because the drafted yarn in the secondzone between the outlet 5 ofth'e false twister 3 'and' which has "a twist equalling the twist of the initial roving less the reduction in the twist due to the elongation produced by the draft. The number of turns'per unit length which the roving possessed-when entering the drafting system is diminished in the first zone and then reinserted in the'sec-ond zone without any reversal in the directions of rotation. This system provides better facilities of drafting than the hitherto known drafting niethodsby a rotary tube. The previously inserted hard twist has caused the fibres in the roving to assume a helical shape. The draft elongates these fibre'coils in the axial direction, thecoil' diameters diminishing and giving rise'to considerable compressive grip between the fibres during the re-twisting phase in the second zone. The same yarn twists therefore exhibit a highertearing strength and elasticity than yarns which have'been spun byclassical techniques. The amount of draft and the length of the first drafting zone are adjusted to the stapl'e'length of-thefibre. The first drafting zone can be fine-controlled by shifting the false twister 3 when the machine is stopped or during operation. At the end of the spinning process the finished yarn is wound by the packaging means 8, as in a rewinding frame, into packages shaped and constructed as may be desired.

While the method herein described, and the form of apparatus for carrying this method into effect, constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and form of apparatus, and that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of spinning a woollen, cotton or other staple fibre yarn, in the manner of a carded woollen yarn, with the simultaneous application of draft, by feeding a roving, twisted in the same direction as the finished yarn, into a drafting system for levelling the yarn, comprising the steps of feeding a hard twisted roving, incapable of yielding to draft without breaking of the yarn fibres and having as many turns as the finished yarn is required to have after allowance is made for the draft, into a drafting system comprising at least one false twister, unwinding said roving in a drafting zone preceding said false twister to the extent required for the roving to yield to draft without the breaking of the yarn fibres, submitting the same to draft in such a manner that the roving yields only in the unwound portion preceding the false twister whereby draft occurs only in the zone in front of said false twister, the hard twisted roving entering the drafting systern being untwisted by a false twister in each of a plurality of consecutive drafting zones until the remaining twist in the zone preceding each false twister permits the roving to yield to the draft applied thereto in each zone without the breaking of the yarn fibres, the final yarn leaving the last of the drafting zones being run into a packaging means.

2. Apparatus for spinning yarn in the manner of a carded woollen yarn, with the simultaneous application of draft, comprising a drafting system substantially consisting of a spindle, at least one pair of front rollers, at least one false twister having means for simultaneously twisting a roving in opposite directions and a pair of drafting rollers, as well as a packaging means substantially constructed in the manner of the packaging means in rewinding frames, the spindle being embodied in a double twist spindle adapted in conventional manner for drawofi from the inside of a package.

3. Apparatus for spinning yarn in the manner of a carded woollen yarn, with the simultaneous application of draft, comprising a drafting system substantially consisting of a spindle, at least one pair of front rollers, at least one false twister having means for simultaneously twisting a roving in opposite directions and a pair of drafting rollers, as well as a packaging means substantially constructed in the manner of the packaging means in rewinding frames, the spindle being followed by a plurality of consecutive drafting zones each substantially formed by a pair of front rollers and a false twister having means for simultaneously twisting a roving in opposite directions, said drafting zones being followed by the pair of drafting rollers.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the spacing of each false twister in relation to the associated pair of rollers is independently adjustable during operation by adjustable displacement of the false twister.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,143,876 Harris Jan. 17, 1939 2,432,355 Truitt Dec. 9, 1947 2,481,538 Rowedder Sept. 13, 1949 2,671,304 Rowedder Mar. 9, 1954 2,846,730 Abbott Aug. 12, 1958 2,886,939 Wilks May 19, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 572,050 Germany Mar. 10, 1933 8,045 Great Britain Mar. 25, 1909 

1. A METHOD OF SPINNING A WOOLLEN, COTTON OR OTHER STAPLE FIBRE YARN, IN THE MANNER OF A CARDED WOOLLEN YARN, WITH THE SIMULTANEOUS APPLICATION OF DRAFT, BY FEEDING A ROVING, TWISTED IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE FINISHED YARN, INTO A DRAFTING SYSTEM FOR LEVELLING THE YARN, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FEEDING A HARD TWISTED ROVING, INCAPABLE OF YIELDING TO DRAFT WITHOUT BREAKING OF THE YARN FIBRES AND HAVING AS MANY TURNS AS THE FINISHED YARN IS REQUIRED TO HAVE AFTER ALLOWANCE IS MADE FOR THE DRAFT, INTO A DRAFTING SYSTEM COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE FALSE TWISTER, UNWINDING SAID ROVING IN A DRAFTING ZONE PRECEDING SAID FALSE TWISTER TO THE EXTENT REQUIRED FOR THE ROVING TO YIELD TO DRAFT WITHOUT THE BREAKING OF THE YARN FIBRES, SUBMITTING THE SAME TO DRAFT IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE ROVING YIELDS ONLY IN THE UNWOUND PORTION PRECEDING THE FALSE TWISTER WHEREBY DRAFT OCCURS ONLY IN THE ZONE IN FRONT OF SAID FALSE 